Wages Act 1986

18 Apportionment of remuneration

(1) This section applies where—

(a) in respect of part of the time worked by a time worker in any week (" the relevant period ") the worker is entitled to the statutory minimum remuneration provided for him by an order under section 14, and

(b) in respect of the remainder of the time worked by him in the week (" the remaining period ") the worker is not entitled to any such remuneration or is entitled to any such remuneration by virtue of another such order;

and in this section any reference to the worker's computed remuneration is a reference to the amount of the remuneration paid to the worker in respect of the time worked by him in the week in question as determined in accordance with section 17.

(2) Subject to subsections (3) to (5), the amount of the worker's computed remuneration that is to be attributed to either the relevant period or the remaining period for the purposes of this Part shall, if not apparent from the terms of the worker's contract, be the amount which bears to the total amount of the worker's computed remuneration the same proportion as the relevant period, or (as the case may be) the remaining period, bears to the total time worked by the worker in the week in question.

(3) Where any particular amount falling to be added or subtracted under section 17(1), as it applies to any week, is exclusively referable to the relevant period, the amount of the worker's computed remuneration to be attributed to that period for the purposes of this Part shall be determined by either—

(a) adding the unattributed balance of that particular amount to the amount to be attributed to that period in accordance with subsection (2) above, or

(b) subtracting the unattributed balance of that particular amount from the amount to be attributed to that period in accordance with that subsection,

according to whether that particular amount falls to be added or subtracted under section 17(1); and a corresponding adjustment shall be made in the amount of the worker's computed remuneration to be attributed for the purposes of this Part to the remaining period.

(4) In subsection (3) " the unattributed balance ", in relation to the particular amount in question, means so much of that amount as is not taken into account for the purpose of determining the amount to be attributed to the relevant period in accordance with subsection (2).

(5) Where any particular amount falling to be added or subtracted under section 17(1), as it applies to any week, is exclusively referable to the remaining period, subsections (3) and (4) shall apply to any such particular amount as if—

(a) any reference to the relevant period were a reference to the remaining period ; and

(b) the reference in subsection (3) to the remaining period were a reference to the relevant period.

(6) The preceding provisions of this section shall apply to a piece worker as they apply to a time worker but as if—

(a) any reference to time worked by the worker in any week were a reference to work executed by him in any week ; and

(b) the word " work " were substituted for the word " period " wherever occurring;

and for the purposes of those provisions as they apply to a piece worker in accordance with this subsection the worker shall be treated as executing work during any such time as is mentioned in section 15(4).